Verbal Vent: A Frank Chat with Boomers, Gen X, and Millennials
- Penned by Fenja Basen
- 4 Min
Gen Z Expressions: Unfiltered Perspectives to Share with Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Millennials - Opinions for Baby Boomers, Millennials, and Gen X Generations: An Unfiltered Perspective
"You're slackers", "When we were your age...", "You can handle it, you're still young." Aren't these phrases all too familiar in your 20s? Disputed by a study by the Nuremberg Institute for Labor Market and Occupational Research, claiming that Gen Z is working more than ever before in Germany. Generation expert Rüdiger Maas labels these accusations a "semantic slip-up".
I'd be tempted to lash out at everyone under 40 and retort, "Case closed!"
Say "Thanks" More Often, Please
Frequent is the complaint, "Things were better back then." But what exactly was better? Hard to decide, isn't it? One minute it's the digital revolution, the next it's inflation. Then you moan about being able to work from home only once a week. That doesn't add up, does it? And speaking of working from home: Honestly, it's my generation, along with the COVID-19 pandemic, that's kept you from commuting every day of the week. Credit where credit's due.
The reaction when we dare to grumble is, "You're still young, you can manage." Really? Because being young apparently means we're not allowed to whine or feel burnt-out? Does age really determine our limits? Is there a complain-by-age rule?
Everyone Has Down Days - Even Gen Alpha
Undeniably, most have felt the sting of misunderstanding, and there's nothing worse than feeling like a burden. When you're drained from the day, the grind, the commute - life. And you shouldn't have to hide or justify your feelings. It's normal to have a bad day, and productivity isn't consistent day to day. Age, in my opinion, shouldn't matter here. So, everyone should be allowed to feel down and worn-out sometimes. I sometimes feel like as soon as someone from my generation voices a desire to work less, we're labeled as "Typical Gen Z. That's just how you all are, you're lazy and self-indulgent."
But that's not my perspective.
In my experience, many Gen Xers grumble that "we young folks"want work-from-home arrangements. Yet, they also profit from our boldness and candor. Instead of envy or resentment, they could just be grateful. Grateful that we've somehow succeeded in establishing work-from-home policies due to our frank discussions during job interviews. Grateful that we may bring more empathy and understanding into the world. And yes, this candor likely stems from social media, as many of us openly share our thoughts and aspects of our lives on these platforms.
But regardless of the source, isn't it beneficial?
"Phone-Addicted Generation" Is a Myth
Let me clarify: I adore my Millennial pals, my Boomer acquaintances, and my Gen X family. But I'm growing tired of the negativity and stereotypes that surface so frequently, despite the positive contributions my generation has made. I believe we're making the world louder by voicing criticisms instead of keeping quiet. Brighter because we advocate for diversity – for example, with protests, TikTok trends, and new vocabulary. And in the end, we yearn to be understood.
We can't help but grow up with social media, become more tech-savvy, and chatter more.
To be honest: I do talk more.
And yes, we make errors too, but that's the point: everyone makes mistakes, and we're all figuring out life for the first time.
Live and Let Live
My suggestion: Accept that we're upfront and active, while you accept that our generation might not always mesh with your perspectives. Let's just be ourselves. There's always something to find fault with in people, but you can't attribute negative behavior to an entire generation.
Dear Boomers, Millennials, Gen X, we appreciate you, and it's fine if you choose to stay as you are. And on behalf of my generation, I apologize if we're ever too vocal or straightforward. But we don't want prejudices anymore, we want to be understood. And to be honest: only together can we strive to create a wonderful world for us all.
- The Voice of Gen Z.
- Prejudice
- Phone
- Digitalization
- Rüdiger Maas, a generation expert, labels the accusations towards millennials for alleged laziness and excessive phone use as a "semantic slip-up."
- Regardless of the source of candor, Gen Z's openness about their work-from-home preferences and other concerns is credited for establishing such policies, which can bring more empathy and understanding into the workplace.
- Embracing digitalization and openly sharing experiences on social media may have made millennials appear "phone-addicted" or too vocal, but this is a part of growing up in the digital age, and everyone makes mistakes as they navigate life.
